Operating device for movable headlights.



M. GRIMORD. I OPERATING DEVICE FOR MOVABLE HEADLIGHTS.

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W/T/VESSES 4%? Wfli A TTOH/VEYS MATTHEW GRIMOBD, 0F IEQN RIVER, MICHIGAN.

OPERATING DEVICE FOR MOVABLE HEADLIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed August 1, 1914. SerielNo. 854,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW GRIMORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iron River, in the county of Iron and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in O crating Devices for Movable Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved support and control for movable head lights of automobiles and vehicles employing a similar steering device.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a head light control including a connection between the reach rod and the lights, this connection being of such a flexible nature as to allow vertical movement of the rod relatively to the lights due to the movements of the vehicle in its road work, without resulting in any movement of the head lights, thus insuring a steadyand unflickering light.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head light control of such construction asto be capable of adjustment, whereby the control may be fitted to various types and sizes of automobiles. 4

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a control. including uprights connected to thereach rod and extending between axle and radiator, and having a swivel connection with a connecting rod disposed to the rear of the lamp brackets and having a ball and socket connection with a pair of okes which in turn are swiveled to the brac ets.-

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which will be simple, durable, eflicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of 'whieh Figure 1 represents a top plan view of a head light control constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a front elevational view thereof. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal view on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary sectional V ew taken through the ball and socket connection between the connecting rod and the bracket yoke. Fig. 5 represents a vertical sectional view taken through the lamp bracket. Fig. 6 represents a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 indicates a front automobile axle, carrying steering knuckles 6 which are operated in the usual manner by the steering mechanism including the reach rod 7. The side bars of the vehicle chassis are indicated at 8, and are connected in the usual manner to the axle by springs 9. To each of the side bars is secured a lamp bracket 10. Each of the lamp brackets comprises a base 11, and a tubular body portion 12 carrying the bracket arms 13. The base is secured to one of the side bars of the chassis in the usual manner and includes a tubular portion upon which the body of the bracket is adapted to rest, a ball bearing 14: being provided be tween the bracket body and base so that the body may be oscillated relatively to the'base. A bolt 15 extends through the tubular portions of the bracket body and base, and at its upper end is provided with a head 16 engaging the recess or enlargement 17 of the bore in the body. A washer 18 encircles the bolt and rests against the floor of the recess and a coiled spring 19 is disposed upon the bolt between the bolt head and washer. A nut is carried by the lower end of said bolt for tightening the latter whereby to provide a snug connection between the body and base of the lamp bracket.

Secured to the reach rod 7, in equally spaced relation to and on opposite sides of its center, are a pair of uprights 20. Each of the uprights at its lower end is carried by a clip 21. Each clip is secured to the reach rod, and comprises a pair of members 22 and 23 provided with semi-circular grooves en-' gaging over the reach rod, said members carrying bolts 24 which extend through an upper plate 25. and the adjacent member 22 the end of the upright is disposed, and by tightening the bolts'24 the various members of the clips are forced together, thus tightly clamping the reach rod and uprights together. The uprights are bent near their lower ends so Between the upper plate,

that while the main portions of the uprights are disposed in a vertical position the lower ends thereof are horizontaL The purpose of bending the uprights in the manner shown is to allow the uprights to conveniently extend between the axle and radiator. The uprights are curved toward each'other near their upper ends, and at their upper ends are secured together by means of a clip 26. The clip comprises a pair of plates 27 and 28 connected by bolts 29. The plates are equally recessed for the reception of the uprights, and by tightening the bolts, the members of the clips are clamped against the uprights. The member 28 carries a pair of forwardly extending spaced ears 30. Between the ears is disposed a rearwardly projecting lug 31 carried centrally of the connecting rod 32. A bolt 33 extends through registering openings in the ears and lug whereby a pivotal connection is provided between the uprights and the connecting rod. The outer ends of the connecting rod are threaded as at 33. Turned upon each of these threaded ends, is a tube 34, provided at its outer end with a squared bore 35. Disposed in the squared bore of each tube are a pair of blocks 36, equally hollowed out or con caved to provide a socket. The blocks are slidable longitudinally of the tube, Within the limits of the squared bore, and are normally maintained in contact with each other by means of a coiled spring 37 The latter at one end engages against the block nearest the outer end of the tube, and at its other end the spring bears against a cap 38 threaded onto said tube. The tube is provided near its outer end with a longitudinally extending slot 39, in registration with the socket afforded by the blocks so that as said blocks move longitudinally of the tube, the socket will be in constant registration with the slot.

The socket carried by each tube is adapted to receive a ball 40 carried b a yoke 41. The ends of the yoke are pivote at 42 to the arms of the lamp bracket. These yokes are disposed behind the lamp brackets, and form a flexible connection between them and the connecting rod. This arrangement whereby the connecting rod is linked to, or so to speak, flexibly secured to the lamp brackets, and whereby the uprights are swivelly connected to the connecting rod, insures a nonmovement of the lamp brackets upon vertical movement of the reach rod relatively thereto. Thus the lamps will always be steady and the objectionable flickering of the lamps occurring in numbers of devices of this general character will be done away with.

The ball and socket joint is so constructed that the outer block may be separated from the inner one either in removing the ball from the socket, or in connecting them, the

spring acting as a resilient means for anchoring the ball. By reason of this resilient anchorage the shock occurring upon sudden ,allel relation to each other, so that the clip 26 by means of which they are connected to the connecting rod, may be shifted vertically Withrelation to the uprights. It will also be noted that the clip connections 21 between the uprights and reach rod are capable of adjustment either relatively to the reach rod or the uprights. These adjustable connections as well as the longitudinal adjustment of the tubes 34; relatively to the connecting rod allow the adjustment of the device as a Whole to meet the requirements of various sizes and types of automobiles to which the device might be attached. The device as a whole is capable of ready adjustment and attachment to an automobile, without the requirement of any special tools or of skilled labor, and is extremely efiicient and positive in operation, at the same time being marked by a minimum degree of friction or of wear and tear upon the variousparts.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 may desire to make such changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts thereof as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim I 1. A device of the class described comprising a pair of uprights adjustably secured in spaced relation at their lower ends to .the reach rod of a vehicle, said uprights extending in front of the axle of a vehicle and being bent toward each other into parallel relation at their upper ends, a connecting rod, an adjustablepivotal connection between the connecting rod and the upper ends of the uprights, yokes disposed behind each of the head lights of the vehicle and pivotally connected thereto, said yoke provided with balls, tubes adjustably supported on the ends of said connecting rod, sockets carried by said tubes and engaging the balls, and resilient cushioning means for said sockets.

2. A device of the class described including a pair'of uprights disposed in parallel roximate relation at their upper ends, and in spaced relation at their lower ends, the lower portions of said uprights being bent at right angles to the upper portionstherevehicle and means for adjustably and pivotally attaching the said connecting rod to said uprights at the upper ends of the latter.

3. A device of the class described including a pair of uprights secured'to the reach rod of a vehicle,aconnecting rod adapted to operate the vehicle head lights, and a pivotal and adjustable connection between the connecting rod and uprights, said connection comprising a pair of plates adapted to engage the opposite sides of said uprights near the ends of the latter, means for securing said plates together, ears carried by one of said plates in spaced relation -to each other, a lug carried by. said connecting rod and disposed between said ears, and a pintle projecting through said ears and lug.

4. The combination with swiveled head lights of a vehicle, of yokes pivotally connected to said head lights and projecting rearwardly therefrom, a connecting rod between the yokes, ball andsocket connections between the rod and yokes, said ball and socket connections being adjustable longitudinally of the rod, uprights connected to the reach rod of the vehicle, and a pivotal connection between said. uprights and connecting rod.

5. The combination with the pivoted lamp brackets of a vehicle, of yokes pivotally connected to said brackets, a connecting rod, tubes disposed on the ends of said rod and adjustable longitudinally thereof, said tubes having squared bores at their outer ends, a

pair of blocks disposed in the squared bore of each tube, the blocks being hollowed to form a socket, said tube provided with a slot in registration with said socket, a cap threaded on the outer open end of each tube, a spring disposed betweensaid cap and the adjacent block, balls carried by said brackets and adapted to be engaged in the socket formed by the blocks, and means for operating said connecting rod from the reach rod of the vehicle.

6. A device of the class described including a lamp bracket, said bracket comprising a base member and a body member, said base member being adapted to besecured to the chassis of a vehicle, said body and base members having alining bores, a series of anti-friction balls disposed between said body and base portions, a bolt disposed in the alining bores of the members, said body member having its bore provided with an enlarged portion, said bolt having a head disposed in the enlarged portion of the bore, a washer disposed on said bolt and adapted to rest against the floor of the enlarged portion, a spring disposed on the bolt between the head thereof and said washer, tightening means for the bolt, and'means for oscillating the body members of said brackets as the vehicle wheels are turned in steering. MATTHEW GRIMORD. Witnesses. MARTIN S. MCDONOUGH,

ALICE M. OU'RLEY. 

